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EXCEL project came with some challenges, given the location and the sheer scale of manpower required, but so far it has been excellent. Venture Global is a great partner to work with and we are very bullish on the work going on out there.”
Strategic priorities
Stepping back from individual projects, Matthew reflects on the core changes reshaping the industrial construction sector and what they mean for EXCEL.“ I think there are several things going on. Everyone hears about labor and skilled craft shortages, but I am not sure people fully understand why they are happening. Traditionally, large industrial contractors like us have focused on refinery work, chemicals, ammonia and fertilizer. But over the last eight-to-ten years, the market has completely changed. Most notably, data centers now represent a major part of our business, with work happening all over the country. LNG is another industry that barely existed a decade ago and is now booming and generating mega projects along the Gulf Coast. Chip manufacturing is also a key growth area. We have a sizeable team working on the TSMC site in Phoenix, carrying out the kind of advanced manufacturing work that has not been on shore in the US for over 20 years. Add life sciences reshoring to that list, and you have a market that is still fundamentally industrial but demands different specialisms: high-purity piping for chip and life sciences facilities, the ability to supply skilled manpower in remote locations for LNG projects, and specialist electricians for data centers. These are different challenges from what we have faced in the past, even if the underlying scope of execution is similar,” he continues.
Those emerging markets are shaping EXCEL’ s strategic priorities for the years ahead. The TSMC project and the wider chip manufacturing sector will remain a focus for the company, given the countless new
semiconductor facilities being built across the US, driving market growth. Power generation is on the precipice of extreme growth because of the data center boom, making it another industry of interest for EXCEL. As more of these facilities look to power themselves, the company sees a natural opportunity given its past performance and experience in the sector. Within the data center market itself, the shift towards liquid cooling is opening up new scope for the business. Indeed, while EXCEL’ s work has historically been largely electrical, the shift from traditional HVAC to liquid-cooled systems brings its piping, fabrication and modular capabilities into play, opening up a market in which the company plans to significantly expand its footprint.
With a broadening portfolio, expanding geographic reach and the ability to adapt its expertise to emerging industries, EXCEL is well placed to take advantage of the next phase of industrial growth. From energy and advanced manufacturing to data centers and liquid cooling, the company is continuing to evolve its offering while retaining the practical, hands-on expertise that has underpinned its success. ■
▲ Matthew Shoriak, Executive Vice President of EXCEL, helps lead the company’ s continued expansion across industrial construction, LNG, advanced manufacturing and data center markets throughout the United States
www. excelusa. com
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